The 2010s have been quite the years for music.
Well, so far it has been.
This decade has brought us the resurrection of genius and influential rap, death metal, indie rock and a weird pop-techno style that has become a staple for modern music lovers. And with this decade hitting the mid-way mark, it is only fair that we take a look at the most important and best albums this decade has produced for us so far.
5. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy- Kanye West
Oh, Kanye. In my previous article, I broke down Kanye's career and his musical influence, citing this album as his magnum opus. And not only was it Kanye's best work, but it is among the best work in general since 2010. Garnering unreal critical acclaim, Kanye showed us the true genius of his mind in, the most important part of modern rap, production. This album showcased guitars, strings, synth, brass and piano to create an unbelievable listening experience. This album also has Kanye's best and even second best song in his career; Gorgeous and Runaway, respectively.
4. Modern Vampires of the City- Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend is not your typical indie rock band like Arcade Fire or even Arctic Monkeys. This group is very strange. Vampire Weekend takes some incredibly odd turns in their music to create such upbeat, happy songs that stick to you for a long time. Modern Vampires of the City is their best work to date, just barely nudging out their first self-titled album and Contra. This entire record is a testament to their very creative work style, that includes odd usage of drums and guitar, as well as very different sounding synth and piano to add a lucid vibe while listening. Props to Vampire Weekend. Hopefully, their next album can top this one.
3. Sunbather- Deafheaven
I'm not putting this album at number three just because, yes, it is my all-time favorite album. I am putting this album here just because of simply how incredible it is. Deafheaven rose to fame with this instant masterpiece that surely will stand the test of time. Still generally unknown, Deafheaven is a metal band that combines elements of shoegaze, black and death metal, as well as incorporating slight hints of pop into their work.
With Sunbather, they were able to capture a blissful, happy, depressing tone that fully encompasses this album to the point of pushing you over the edge of emotions. As being a metal album, the screams will turn people off instantly. However, Deafheaven utilizes these screams from lead singer George Clarke to more of a background volume, almost like a backing instrument. The guitars and drums will give off strong emotions by themselves. Deafheaven has released a new album in 2015, but it just falls short of this masterpiece.
2. Art Angels- Grimes
Grimes is just a weird artist, weirder than any mainstream artist that comes into your head. And she is better than any mainstream artist you can think of. In terms of pop, there is none who can create such dazzling beats and incredible harmonies better than Grimes. Art Angels was released in 2015 and brought a crazy amount of attention to it due to its unrelenting force. Grimes has struck gold, yet again, with this record. Each song has a different feel to it, but doesn't stray away from the feeling is it striving for. With the new age of pop music becoming more electronically produced, Art Angels adds onto the current fad while Grimes also creates her own twist that leaves us with a fantastic album.
Alright, so before I lay down the clearly obvious choice for the best album since 2010, let's look at a few honorable mentions that could be among the top 10-15:
Channel Orange- Frank Ocean
Halcyon Digest- Deerhunter
Run The Jewels (1 & 2)- Run The Jewels
St. Vincent- St. Vincent
Tetsuo and Youth- Lupe Fiasco
Beach House- Teen Dream
This Is Happening- LCD Soundsystem
Good Kid m.A.A.d. City- Kendrick Lamar
1. To Pimp A Butterfly- Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar has done it again.
I could have EASILY put Good Kid m.A.A.d. City on top instead of this album. But this one is just way too important. Kendrick Lamar is too smart, too creative and too good at what he does. It is unfair.
Kendrick writes, and I do not say this lightly, the most important album of all time. And yes, I have listened to many albums dating back to the early 60's. But this album is quite possibly the greatest to ever be made. Not just because it is King Kendrick at his best, but because every single song explains and tells us of struggles, success, even the true minds of black culture in today's time. Kendrick shows us the benefits and downfalls of money, alcoholism (yet again) and he even goes as far as to openly criticize black people on The Blacker the Berry with the hardest line in rap history:
"So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street? When gangbangers made me kill somebody blacker than me. Hypocrites."
K-Dot is the greatest rapper alive. He is the most influential musical artist alive, and he does it in such a perfect manner, it is hard to see this album being forgotten about in 20 years.
This half of the decade has brought us some incredibly diverse music. But in every genre, there has been something absolutely great to come from. Let's just hope that the second half of this decade will bring us even better music.
